Students, staff spend night at school due to blizzard

Students sleep on mats on the floor at the school after a blizzard hits the area (Photo courtesy: Sharon Webb via the Gazette))

Students, staff spend night at school due to blizzard

Students sleep on mats on the floor at the school after a blizzard hits the area (Photo courtesy: Sharon Webb via the Gazette))

RUSH, Colo. – Students at the Miami-Yoder School had an unexpected sleepover after a

blizzard swept through the area making it too dangerous to drive.

The Gazette reported that 60 students spent the night at the school Tuesday night, which is about 45 minutes east of Colorado Springs.

The school was dismissed at 3:45 p.m., but snow drifts quickly closed the surrounding roads. The area is prone to high winds and flash blizzards, according to the paper.

“You can have sunshine one minute and 10 minutes later you can have a raging blizzard without any notice,” Miami-Yoder School principal Sharon Webb told the paper.

Two buses that were scheduled for northern routes returned to the school due to white-out conditions.

Secondary-student boys slept on wrestling mats in the cafeteria, while girls slept on gymnastic mats in a classroom, according to the paper. Elementary students slept on mats they normally use to nap on during the day.

Webb spent the night with the students, as well as a couple of teachers, custodians and bus drivers.

“We had plenty of food,” Webb told the paper. She said students and staff ate from the cafeteria and the school’s concession stand.

“It wasn’t bad at all,” Webb said. “I had a pizza and soda. It was an enjoyable time, the kids had a great time and their behavior was great.”